Typewriting machine



March- 1933. J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: wxw '2 ATTOR Patented Mar. 7, 1933 hairs STATES PATEN Fries JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERVJOOD ELLIOTT r 2' FISHER COMPANY, 'OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE I TYPEWRITING MACHINE Application filed June 27,

This invention relates generally to webmanifolding typewriting machines of the kind shown in the patent to Wernery and Smith, 1,132,055.

The multiple-ply carbon-interleaved workweb is usually fed into the machine and around the platen. Blades for holding carbon-sheets interleaved between the piles of the web are mounted on acarbon-carrier,

which is shifted longitudinally ofthe web at intervals, to strip the carbons from a typed set of forms to interleave them with asucceeding set of untyped forms. i

7 Operation of the line-space lever rotates the platen, and the web and carbons are advanced and pull the carbon-carrier forward along a track. The work-web extends rearwardly past the carbon-carrier, and is drawn from a source below the machine over a transverse rod.

The weight of the overhanging web-portion, and the weight and friction of the carhon-carrier, cause a tensionin the web, as it is advanced intermittently by line-spacing operations. This tension is serious when the is thick and heavy. As a result of this tension, quick rotation of the platen, especially by a sudden operation of the line-spacing lever, sometimescauses the web to slip slightly relatively to the platen, producing faulty line-spacing. Also, some of the plies may be advanced slightly more than others; and this creeping action, which is cumulative, sometimes causes the forms on different plies to get considerably out of register.

The patent to Adolph G. Kupetz, No. l,6l1,595, dated December 21, 1926, discloses the clamping of the web to the carbon-carrier and moving the latter ahead as the platen is linespaced. An object of the pres- 'nt i vention is to avoid the necessity of using connectin mechanism between the carbon-carrier and the platen. i It is a feature of the present invention to 'ssipate or remove the tension in the workn, by producing a slack in it just before each line-spacing rotation of the platen. This is done by simple, inexpensive means. The werkeveb is gripped at its forward portion between the platen and the lower 1930. Serial No. 464,180.

feed-rolls and in rear of the carriage the web is relea'sably clamped to the-carbon-carrier. A slack-producer in the form of. a cross-rod is mounted under the work-web, between the carriage and the carbon-carrier, and is connected to be swung upwardly'by the initial movement of the line-space lever,

just before the platen begins to rotate, for

carrier at the end of its throw, and is instantly released and falls, leaving the slack formed in the loop. Hence the web may be line-spaced, free of longitudinal tension, by the remaining portion of the drive stroke of the line-space lever.

It is a further feature of my invention to prevent the back pull of the web-overhang from returning the carbon-carrier from the position to which it has been advanced by formation of the web-slackening loop by the provision of simple, effective and inexpensive means for counteracting-the back pull of the web-overhang, which means also serves to reduce the resistance caused by the inertia of the carbon-carrier to the movement of the same ahead during the formation of the loop. This means resides in an arrangement of shoe-members arranged under the typewriting machine so as to raise the rear end of the carbon-carrier track enough whereby the weight of the distance not less: than a triple line-space, ir-

respective of theamount the web is lineinertia of the carbon-carrier to be overcome while the work of rotating the platen is being done.

My invention may be applied to typewriting machines which do not employ carbonstripping devices.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a partial perspective View of an Underwood continuous billing typewriting machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view illustrating the construction of the web-looping rod-device.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View, front to rear, of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an operational view illustrating how the loop is formed in the web shown in Figure 3 just before the platen begins to rotate to feed the web ahead.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevational View of the structure shown in Figure 4, showing the web after all the slack has been taken up by rotation of the platen. The line-space lever is shown in this view at the end of its throw.

My invention is shown applied to an Underwood continuous billing typewriting machine of the kind shown in the above-mew tioned patent to WVernery and Smith, in which types 10 strike against a platen 11 on a shaft 12 which is journaled in end plates 13 of a platen-displacing frame, generally designated as '14. The displacing frame is displaceably mounted on a cross-shaft 15 journaled in right and left ends 16 and 17, respectively, of a carriage 18.

For line-spacing work-pieces around the platen, a ratchet-wheel 19 mounted on a stub-shaft 20 is journaled in the carriageend 17 and is concentric with the shaft 12. A detent-device 21 engages the ratchet-wheel 19. For operatively connecting the stubshaft 20 with the platen-shaft 12, a gear 22 is mounted on the inner end of the stubshaft 20, and a gear 23 is mounted on the left end of the shaft 12. A pinion 24 mounted on the cross-shaft 15 meshes with both gears 22 and 23. An organization of parts (not shown), which may be like the arrangement of parts 22, 23 and 24, is provided at the right of the platen.

' For rotating the platen 11 step by step, a line-space lever 25 is pivoted on a stud 26 on the end 17 and has a rearwardly-extending finger 27 which engages against the forward end of a slide 28 on'which is pivoted a drive-pawl 30. An integral tooth 31 of the pawl'30 is disposed for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19 in a manner presently to appear. In the normal starting position of the lever 25, the tooth is held out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19 by engagement of a rear foot-element 32 engaging with a shaft 33, which is mounted for adjustment of a slidable member 34. The shaft 33 may be set by a line-space-settinglever 35 to determine whether the throw of the line-space lever 25 will effect a single, double or triple line-spacing of the platen.

For conducting a multiple-ply work-web WV, made up of a plurality of plies 36, to the printing field from a source of supply (not shown) below and in the rear of the typewriting machine, a web-course is provided which is laterally movable with the carriage 18, which is supported on a main frame 37 The webcourse includes a cross-rod 40 mounted on the rear of two rails 41 which constitute atrack for a carbon-carrier, generally designated as'42. The forward ends of the rails are supported by the carriage and the rear ends are supported by rollers 43 which run on a crosswise rail 44 mounted on an auxiliary main frame 45. A side-edge guide-member 46 is mounted on the rod 40 at each side of the web W. It will be noted that the upwardly-pulled web W turns on the rod 40, and the overhanging portion of the web obviously tends to pull the web back.

Inreaching blades 47, mounted on stepped blocks 48 of the carbon-carrier 42, extend in between the plies 36 from opposite sides and hold carbon-sheets 50 in interleaved relation between the web-plies 36. From the carboncarrier 42 the web W passes forwardly over a rear paper-table 51 and between lower feed-rolls 52 and the platen 11 to the printing field, and thence it is line-spaced ahead over a front paper-table 53 as the typing proceeds. the parts described above may be of the same construction as like parts in the standard Underwood continuous billing typewriting machine.

In practicing my invention, it is desirable, for reasons to presently appear, to have the web W clamped to the carbon-carrier while the slack is being created in the web, and while the web is subsequently line-spaced ahead. To this end, .a usual base-plate member 55 of the carbon-carrier has a forward extension 56 formed with a crosswise groove 57 A bail-shaped web-clamp, generally designated as 58,,includes rearwardly-extending arms 60, each pivotedon an adjacent block 48. A crosswise clamping bar 61 is fastened to the forward ends of the arms 60, and is disposed for normally pressing the workweb W and the interleaved carbons down into the groove 57 by power of a spring 62, which has one end fastened to a pin 63 in Except as is hereinafter set forth, 1

' engaging about a usual-cross-rod 77.

the left-hand arm 60, above the pivot of the i arm, andthe other end fastened to a usual forwardly-extending arm 64 of the carboncarrier. For releasing the clamp 58, as when the carbons are being retracted and stripped, an auxiliary carbon-carrying arm 65 is slidably mounted on the arm 64, and its rear end is loosely fastened to a lever 66 pivoted on the rear portion of' the arm 64. An inreaching pin 67, fast on the lower end of the lever 66, engages in a slot 68 provided on the left-hand arm 60. The arms 64 and 65 have upreaching fingerpieces 70 and 71, respectively, at their forward ends, the finger-piece 71 being disposed a short distance forward from the finger-piece 70. To release the clamp 58, it

is only necessary to push the finger-piece 71.

rearward at the same operation that the carbon-carrier is moved rearward to strip the carbons. This rearward movement of the arm 65 swings the pin 67 up and raises the clamping bar 61. The arm 65 is guided alongside the arm 64 by a pin 72, fast in the arm 65, and engaging in a lengthwise slot 73 in the arm 64.

hen the web is being line-spaced ahead, it is clamped to the carbon-carrier as described above, and aportion of the web between the carbon-carrier 42 and the platen 11 is under some tension due to the weight of the overhanging web below the rod 40. Should the platen 11 be rotated without relieving or reducing the above-noted tension, it will tend to cause the web to slip relatively to the platen. Also the inertia of the carbon-carrier 42 as it is pulled ahead adds to this tension.

It is a feature of this inventionto provide means, operated concomitantly with the line-spacing of the web ahead, to remove the above-noted web-tension, due from the overhanging portion of the web, and also to prevent the tension from the inertia of the carbon-carrier arising. To this end, it is proposed to create a slack in the work-web WV between the carriage 18 and the carbon-carrier 42 in a way and to such an extent that the carbon-carrier is moved ahead along its path a distance equal to or greater than a tripleline-space before the platen begins to rotate. Means for producingthe slack include a crosswise rod 74 disposed under the path of the web WV a short distance in the .rear of the carriage 18. This rod is mountedfor upward displacement in the rear ends of a righthand arm 75 and a left-hand arm 76, the

front ends of the arms having apertures for Two usual side-edge web-guides 78 are also mounted on the rod 7 7. The right end of the rod 77 may be mounted on a usual bracket 80, which is fastened to the carriage18. The

' left end of the rod is mounted on a bracket 81, which is fastened by screws 82 to the carriage 18. A collar 83, fastened on the rod 77 adjoining the arm 75, holds the latter against the bracket 80.

The arm 76 has a hub-member 84 fastened to it, which engages around the rod 77 next to the inside face of the bracket 81. The arm 76 also has a shortlever or crank portion 85 extending forwardly'and downwardly relatively to the rod 77. An outreaching striking pin 86 is fastened strongly to the crank-portion 85 on the face next to the bracket 81.

To provide for swinging the rod 74 up ward during a usual initial and idle portion of the movement of the line-space lever 25, a rearward extension 87 is fastened, as by riveting, to the slide 28, and may be formed substantially as illustrated in Fig-v ure 1, where it is bent outward pasta usual fulcrum-screw 88, and extends downward. and is then bent inward, and is finally disposed parallel to the adjacent end ofthe carriage 18 below and in a vertical plane closely adjacent the plane of the striking pin 86.

The rear end of the extension 87 is slidably supported on an outreaching finger 89, which is integrally joined to' a bracket 90, the latter being fastened to the rear of the carriage 18 for supporting an adjacent portion of the carbon-carrier track, the bracket 90 having an'u'preaching flangemember 91 which supports the left end of a usual front crossrod 92-of the carboncarrier track. The right end of the crossrod 92 is supported by a bracket-member 93 fastened to the carriage.

A tappet-member 94 is pivoted on a stud 95, fast in the extension 87 and has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined arm 96. The rear end of the arm 96 is preferably cut off to make an oblique angle with the arm, as shown in Figure 3, for effectively engaging against the pin 86 as the extension 87 is moved rearward, upon operation of the line-space lever 25. The tappetmember 94 has a downwardly and'forwardly inclined arm 97, in which is fastened an outreaching pin 98, which extends past the extension-member 87. A tensile spring 99 has one end fastened to the pin 98 and the other end to a'pin 100 in the extension 87 and normally holds the pin 98 against the bottom edge of the extension 87, and holds the oblique end of the arm 96 in'po'sition for engaging the pin 86, so as to transmit power from operationof the line-space lever efficiently to the lever 85 for swinging higher than usual front feet 102 under the' 7 downwardly toward the front. The slope of the track is preferably such that the tendency of the carbon-carrier to move forward does not exceed the back pull of the web-overhang.

The preferred operation of an Underwood continuous billing typewriting machine embodying my invention is as follows: The line-space lever 25 is swung rightwardly, the slide 3e and the extension 87 begin moving rearwardly, and the tooth 31 (see Figure 8) moves idly for a time downward and rearward to engage behind the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19, as the foot 32 slides down over the edge of the shelf 33 from theFigure 3 position to the Figure l position. At the start of this idle movement of the tooth 31, the arm 96 ofthe tappet-Inember engages against the pin 86. The distance from the pin 86 to the rod 7 7 is only a small fraction of the distance from the web-defleeting rod 74 to the rod 77, and, since, ordinarily, the line-space lever is operated rapidly, the rod 74 usually swings upwardly at a high speed.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figure 3 that the web N is substantially straight when the rod 74 is in starting position. This arrangement is advantageous, as can be readily seen by those skilled in the resolution of forces, because as the web W is deflected it greatly multiplies the forward pull of the web on the carbon-carrier 42 at the moment of starting the latter to move ahead, when its inertia is greatest. After the carbon-carrier l2 begins moving along the downwardly-sloping track, it moves forward rapidly under the pull of the web W'.

The rod 7 4, as indicated in Figure 4, is moving rapidly upward at such a speed that the pin 86 has swung ahead of the arm 96 just as the'tooth 31 engages the ratchet-wheel 19. An instant later the rod strikes the fixed web-guides 7 8 and falls back. Just before the rod 74- falls back, the lower lever-arm 97 strikes the finger 89, and the tappet-memher 9% then becomes a lever of the third order and operates to swing the arm 96 down and the pin 86 is cammed out of the way by means of the oblique end of the arm 96, the

pin being revolved counterclockwise abou the rod 77.

At the end of thestroke of the line-space lever, the tappet-member 94; is disposed in the Figure 5 position. When the typewriting machine is set for triple line-spacing, as shown in Figur 4, the tooth 31 may begin to rotate the platena very short time before the rod 7% strikes the web-guides 78 and falls back clear of the web VI.

However, at the instant the platen begins to rotate, the monentum of the carbon-carrier 42 causes it to continue moving forward fast enough whereby no tension in the web results from snaps back up in front the small amount of the rotation of the platen 11.

In most continuous billing work, the line spacing required is either single or double. It can be readily seen by those Skilled in the construction of an Underwood type.-

writing machine, upon inspection of Figgle line-spacing, the time for the rod to move up and back will be greater still.

Also it can be readily seen that, if desired, an Underwood standard typewriting machine can be sli htly changed so that when triple line-spacing is required the rod 7st will have plenty of time to swing up against the guide-member 7S and fall partly back before the platen begins rotating.

Upon release of the line-space lever 25, a spring 108, having one end fastened to a pin 104C in a tongue 105 of the extension 87 and vthe other end to a pin 106 in the carriage 18, returns the slide As the tappet-member 94 moves away from the finger 89, the spring 99 causes the arm 96 to swing up to its normal starting position. When the tappetmember passes under the pin 86, which is now in the Figure 3 position, the arm 96 is pressed down in passing under the pin and of it, because of the spring 99.

To prevent the rod 7 1 from falling below its starting position (Figure the arm has a front cam-edge 107 I which engages against the bracket 81 in the platen-displacing frame, which is normally locked down by the usual lever 110. When the platen is displaced upwardly for carbon-stripping purposes, the rod 74 may drop down against the cross-rod 92. After releasing the clamp 58, as above described, stripping the carbons, and severing on a knife, {not shown), the typed section of the work-web, the platendisplacing carriage is lowered again. The bracket 81 then engages the cam-edge 107 and raises the cross-rod 74: to normal starting position, and a new cycle of operations may be begun.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of'the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: V p

1. In a web-manifolding typewritingmachine having a platen around which may be fed from a source of supply a multipleply work-web interleaved with carbons, the combination with mechanism for line-spacing said platen, of devices operatively connected to said line-spacing mechanism to be effective at the initial portion of the linespacing stroke thereof for producing a loop in said web, means for thereupon immediately disconnecting said loop-producing clevices from said line-spacing mechanism, the remaining portion of the line-spacing stroke of said mechanism being efiective to rotate said platen, and means for releasing said loop-producing devices from said web, so that said loop may cause a slack in the web before said platen is rotated by said line-spacing mechanism.

2. In a typewriting machine having a platen over which may be fed a multipleply work-web, the combination with a carrier for holding carbon-sheets interleaved between the plies of said web, devices for clamping said web to said carbon-carrier, and a line-spacing mechanism, of devices for forming a loop in said web at the'start of the operation of said line-spacing mechanism, and for automatically releasing said loop-forming devices preparatory to the line-spacing of the platen by the remainder of the stroke of said line-spacing mechanismv 3. In a typewriting machine having a platen around which may be fed a multipleply work-web interleaved with carbons, the combination with mechanism for line-spacing said platen, of devices operatively connected to said line-spacing mechanism for producing a loop in said web, at the start of the stroke of said line-spacing mechanism and before the platen is rotated therey, and means making said loop efi'ective to cause a slack in said web immediately before said platen begins to rotate at the subsequent portion of the operation of said line-spacing mechanism, including instrumentalities for releasing said loop-producing devices from the web before the latter is drawn forward by rotation of said platen.

4.111 a typewriting machine having a platen around which a multiple-ply workweb may be fed, feed-rolls gripping said web against said platen, a line-spacing mechanism for rotating said platen, and devices for holding carbons interleaved be tween the web-plies, the combination of devices connected to said line-spacing mechanism for forming a loop in said web, said last-mentioned devices including a crosswise rod under said web, a displaceable mounting for said rod, and instrumentalities driven by said line-spacing mechanism and displacing said rod upwardly for forming a loop in said web, means for disengaging said instrumentalities from said rod, a fixed member in the path of said rod, which falls back below said web, and means for preventing a rearward pull on said loop, the loop causing slack in said web and carbons as they are fed to said platen.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen around which a multiple-ply work-web may be fed, feed-rolls gripping said web against said platen, linespacing mechanism for rotating said platen, devices for holding carbons interleaved between the web-plies, devices operatively connected to said line-spacing mechanism and effective at the start of the stroke thereof for engaging said web and forming a loop therein at the rear of said platen, means-for immediately releasing said webengaging devices from said loop, and means co-operating with said carbon-holding devices for preventing a rearward pull of said loop, whereby slack is caused in said web as it is fed to said platen during the remainder of the stroke of said line-spacing mechanism. I

6. In a typewriting machine having a platen-carriage and a platen around which may be fed a multiple-ply work-web from the rear, the combination with line-space mechanism including a rearwardly-moving slide, of a rearward extension on said slide, displaceable means including a" crosswise rod disposed under said web and displaceable upwardly, and means including a tap-c pet-member carried by said slide-extension for engaging said displaceable means to displace said rod upwardly forforming a loop in said web.

7. In a web-manifolding typewriting machine having a platen around which a multiple-ply work-web may be fed from a source of supply below said machine, the combination with a platen-carriage and a line-space mechanism having a rearwardlysliding member, of a cross-rod under said web in the rear of said platen-carriage, instrumentalities for mounting said rod to be upwardly displaced, said instrumentalities including two rearwardly-extending armmembers, said rod fastened to the rear ends of said arm-members, and a fulcrum for said arm-members at their forward ends, a connection between said line-space mechanism and said instrumentalities including a rear extension carried by said sliding member, a tappet-member pivoted on said extension, and a member fastened to the rod-carrying arm adjacent said tappetmember, whereby to be engaged by the latter for swinging said arm-members up about said fulcrum and engaging said rod against the under side of said web for displacing the same upwardly in a loop, a member fixed on said platen-carriage in the path of said rod whereagainst it strikes and falls back, and means for disengaging said tappet-member from said member fastened on said arm, whereby said rod is free to return to normal starting position.

JESSE A. B. SMITH. 

